Pokéumans: Temperamental Singularity
by Charu
Summary: Donovan, an innocent and confused Snivy, wakes up randomly to find a life he never knew existed. In fact, he doesn't recall life from before, or anything about him for that matter! Donovan muddles through this new underground world while making friends and enemies alike. A looming past haunting over him as others more important than him know just what exactly he is.
1. Stage 1: Hit Hard, Forget Hard

**Authors Note:** Before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, I will inform everyone right now, before you read, that the concept of this story came from another concept someone else made over at Deviant Art. Pokéumans is a concept primarily made by a fellow who goes by the name of pokemonmanic3595 and has a group over there that share the same name. The group site is:

Also before your panties get in bunch of a similar title name in that group, I am the original author of that specific one. This document however is a revised version with a lot of differences from the original (as new ideas have sprouted since then and now).

I hope you guys enjoy this tribute to the original creator's concept. This story is by no means suppose to follow the original author's intentions and as such I will claim right now that this story is 'AU' from the original author's work.

Alright, all that aside. You will not see this message again in coming chapters. Thank you for reading and remember, _may the meis be with you._

~~~~~0~~~~~

**Temperamental Singularity**  
_Stage 1: Hit Hard, Forget Hard_

Distant shocks crackled as sparks echoed in the darkness of the night. The stutter and thumps of a disabled car lay in wreckage before a toppled power line. The electricity flowing through the severed wires making it twitch in rhythm to the cracks that they were produced. Not a word was heard, no one to witness such a scene, no one to help if there was someone in the scrap heaps of metal.

Out in the distance, a figure walked. Not knowing where it was going or what it was doing. It appeared to be clutching on to itself, the crash leaving a mark on the lone suspect. The severity being masked by the night, but it was definitely hurt.

Screams… the sound of screams could be heard in the dark. Very faint and distant, but they were there. As the figured limped, images popped up in its mind, couldn't tell what they were. They were unfocused, unclear, confused.

"Confused", this thought triggered a past memory. A memory of panic and fear, but it couldn't remember why there was panic and fear. That's when it felt the searing throbs. It groaned in pain, the figure clutching its head as it tumbled over. The pain in its head, it didn't know why it hurt so much. It's like the memory was erasing itself when it was trying to remember.

Just before everything around became dark and fuzzy, it recalled a voice muttering words sincerely. It was the type of tone that was disappointed and saddened. The pain faded away as the figure slipped into the embrace of unconsciousness, the words echoed in the empty mind as they too faded away.

_"I'm sorry, Donovan."_

~~~~~0~~~~~

"Apply pressure here!"

"No-no-no, too much clutter."

"Subject is regaining consciousness."

"Damn it, too soon, injecting neurotoxic stimuli."

"Brain activity rising, heart rate increasing, the injection isn't working!"

Images of a white room appeared, but nothing could be made sense of it. Figures were hovering over that looked like nothing from this world. "What in the world is going on?" was the only thought process that went through.

"It's working, it won't be instant, but his vitals should stabilize within thirty seconds."

'His' echoed in his mind. Is something wrong with him? Why was he in this place and who were all these figures around him? He couldn't put heads to toes with the situation and especially what his blurry vision was seeing. Figures, that looked more like monsters than anything, paced around him as they pushed and cut him. No pain or pressure was felt as he breathed heavily, he was in a state of panic. He tried to reach out to one of the figures, but one of them gently placed his arm back down.

Then it hit him. Whatever they put in him made him instantly limp. His control over his body suddenly went away. He could still move his eyes, but still couldn't make out anything. He heard a beep as the commotion around him muffled as the sensation overwhelmed him. He felt himself losing consciousness.

"Brain activity and heart rate returning to normal, that was too close. We could've lost him."

"Don't be ridiculous, this operation won't fail because of an unpredicted gain of consciousness."

The last thing he could see was a figure hovering over him, looking at him closely. He could just barely make out what it was, not that he could tell anyways because it looked like a monster. It was as if a shark was hovering over him, it was the best he could compare what he was seeing. He couldn't ponder any longer as he slipped into a deep sleep. He was at the mercy at whoever was operating on him.

~~~~~0~~~~~

His body ached, he felt disoriented, like he was falling. His vision blurred once more as he once again saw the same white room, but now there wasn't a crowd of monsters. He heard the faint hum of machines. The beeps from a heart rate monitor echoed in the calm room. He tried to move, but his limbs didn't respond. The effects of the drugs they put in him were still coursing through his veins.

He heard footsteps. He turned his head toward the source and what he saw made him jump. The beeps increased in intervals from the heart rate monitor in response to his sudden shock. What stood before him was that shark. Exactly what he saw before, but this time it was much clearer. It wasn't a shark exactly, but that's the only word he could think of from what he was seeing, and it was looking back into his eyes. Its blue-purplish skin shining from the florescent lights, its yellow eyes seemingly glowing as if it too was a light source, its orange-reddish skin underneath its neck that extended downwards to its chest and belly complimented the surreal image. If that wasn't odd enough for him, this shark had cylindrical shapes on the top of its head and arms that looked like fins with a very sharp claw at the end.

He would be lying if he said to himself that he wasn't scared of this thing, but he couldn't scream or run. That didn't stop him from breathing heavily however. He started to sweat, fearing that this thing was going to end his life. The creature looked towards the heart monitor and then chuckled as he looked back down to the frightened patient.

"I see you're recovering well. Had a feeling you would come around now, we predicted you'd be out longer," the creature said with a gruff voice. He then pulled out what appeared to be a data pad that was on the side of the bed. He used a hole that was on the top of the pad to be able to pull it and was touching the screen with his other claw. A few clicks and beeps sounded before he put the pad back in place. He scratched lightly under his chin as he examined the patient on the bed.

"You're probably not able to talk right now, nod a yes or no when I ask this," he started as he continued to look him over. "Do you remember what happened?"

The patient shook his head. He couldn't remember anything. In fact he couldn't remember anything at all! He didn't know his name, how he got here, who the heck the person talking to him was if they ever met, or whatever happened to make him come here. He had completely forgotten everything.

"I see," the shark-like creature sighed as he closed his eyes in deep thought. "You're name is Donovan, you were in an accident and we recovered you. That's the gist of what happened." He opened his eyes as he gently placed one of his claws on Donovan, a gesture he hoped would calm him. "This must be extremely bizarre and frightening, but please fear not. You're in good hands. Do not let my appearance scare you. I'd rather you don't have a heart attack and die now," he chuckled.

He walked over to a desk on the far side of the wall with another monitor. Donovan looked around the room confused and, despite the attempts to calm, scared for his life. It was a typical small operating room. A set of double doors separated the room to a hallway. Some medical equipment stood in the corners, but none he could recognize. The only thing that was abnormal in the room was that creature. He wasn't sure if he knew the creature, and sadly had to assume that this thing was hostile.

He wanted to speak. He wanted to know for sure he was safe. He tried to mutter words. To his surprise, he could move his jaw slightly. He muttered in a weak, cracking voice, "A-am I goin-ng to die-e?"

The creature looked back at him with a curious gaze that quickly turned to a smirk. "Not very trusting?" he asked. This sent shivers down Donovan as he didn't know if that was a good remark or a bad one. "You're a smart one, but I assure you under my protection you'll be fine."

He walked over to him, reaching for an instrument that hovered above Donovan. "You're more conscious than I thought you would be, I'm impressed." Donovan gulped, he wasn't about to trust this thing any time soon. He'd much rather run and hide in a corner than see what this thing would do to him. Not like he had a choice though, he still couldn't move. "Here, let me show you something," the creature pulled the instrument down so Donovan could see the reflection of a mirror. What he saw quickly became the second thing sees that made his heart stop once more.

In the reflection laid another creature. He was that creature. The green skin covering his snout as the skin changed to a tannish color suddenly underneath his snout and neck. He saw a pair of dark orange eyes looking back along with a shocked expression. Yellow skin patterned his eyes as they went downwards behind him. He could faintly see a pair of yellow leaves protruding from his back, what in the world was he?

"From the looks, I can see you have no idea what you are," he replied to the shocked patient before him as he put the mirror back up. He sighed in deep thought again, "You're a Pokéuman," he stated matter-of-factly. "I suspected you had a severe case of amnesia, but from my readings you're not unstable. I'm what you call a Pokédoctor." He paused and chuckled at his own humor. Donovan didn't follow. "My name is Marcus, I'm one of the doctors in this Pokécenter. I'm a Gabite," he added suddenly afterwards answering Donovan's earlier inner question.

Donovan attempted to talk, this time his words were more concise. "What am I? What's a "Pokéuman"? Do you know anything about me?" Donovan asked in slow succession. His fears diminishing slightly from Marcus as a new one overpowered. He knew how to talk and he knows what's around the room, but he can't seem to remember himself, whatever Marcus is, and this "Pokéuman" word that popped. Doesn't make sense to him, if he had amnesia, how can he not remember specific information regarding himself and what's before him?

Marcus grinned. "You're a Snivy. You probably won't be used to your body when you recover in full, that's the first step. You'll be staying in my infirmary for a few days as you learn." Donovan gave him a confusing stare, but Marcus knew that it was going to be impossible to make him understand instantly. "I don't give history lessons, but if you must know, we are quite the diverse race as you can already tell from looking at me and yourself. You'll be seeing a lot more variety in the coming days, so I can't really answer that one." He turned away as he walked back to the desk. "As for knowing who you are, I cannot say. You're another patient to me, nothing more, nothing less." With that, he started to type and clack at the keyboard. Busying himself with the task of writing a report.

Donovan could do nothing but stare at Marcus. This entire situation was completely unknown, and he's both scared and frustrated by it. He hated that he couldn't move or "learn" as Marcus said what's going on and why he's this "Snivy". Perhaps he could ask Marcus if there was someone he knew.

"Is there someone I know I can talk to?" Marcus shook his head in response. Not looking away from the monitor.

"No, I'm sorry. Most new Pokéumans go through this stage in readjusting their life." Donovan gave him a curious look, but knows Marcus wouldn't be able to see the confusion in his eyes.

"What do you mean? 'Readjusting their life'?"

"Majority of Pokéumans are born as humans."

"Humans…" Donovan repeated. He knew what that was, and then had a feeling he was one at some point. Did turning into one of these things erase memories of his life?

"As you may have guessed, when a child goes through adolescence, their bodies begin to change from a human to a Pokéuman. Their genetic makeup changes slowly through this phase." Marcus took his eyes off the monitor as he lowered his head. "Imagine, a child's life suddenly changing before his eyes when he realizes their friends are not really friends. Imagine that their parents suddenly become hostile, trying to kill their child." Marcus looked back at Donovan. His yellow eyes seemingly intensifying as his expression became dreadfully serious. "You wouldn't understand, someday you will, but not with your memories gone."

"Wait, you're not makin-" he started, but was cut off.

They don't lose their memories, they remember everything. You're one of the few lucky exceptions," he growled. Donovan didn't know why Marcus was getting tense. He wondered if it was a touchy subject. Marcus let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes. "I apologize for my sudden rudeness. I've had little sleep and didn't think I'd be explaining these things." He brought his attention back to the monitor, entered several more keystrokes before walking towards the exit.

"I apologize again. I need to leave for a while. Please try to relax and rest. When the medicine wears off, we'll get you sorted out."

Donovan tried to reach out, he was surprised that he could somewhat move his arms. "Hey, wait!" But it was too late, Marcus had already crossed the doors and turned a deaf ear to Donovan's cry. He wanted to know what that was all about. He may not know anything about his life, but he wasn't dumb. Marcus seemed like he wanted to say something but left before he could. With a thump, his arms went back down. He took this opportunity to try to examine himself, his arms anyways.

They were short and stubby ending with what he assumed was what resembled his hand. It looked like he wouldn't be able to turn and twist it since there were no clear indications of any bones or anything. He quickly found out he could move it independently, the hands sprouting three stubby pointed fingers. They looked sharp. He imagined if he tried, he could cut something pretty good with his fingers.

Taking his arms, he pulled away the blanket that covered the bottom half of him. He saw the tan colored skin to continue down to a... He gasped, he had a tail. If he was turned to this thing, then he definitely wouldn't know how to function one from his memories coming back. Motor skills shouldn't be randomly forgotten, unless that was part of his amnesia. He became frustrated, he really wish he did know what was going on. Pulling the blanket back to his chest, he reluctantly relaxed and heaved out a stressed grumble. He was stuck in this bizarre world for the time being, but he hopes it wouldn't be very long until he does recover his memories.

~~~~~0~~~~~

"What are your orders?" A female voice echoed in a grand office overlooking what appeared to be a mechanical city. A draconic looking creature was staring outside the window. He stood proudly on his four legs. His cyan skin glistened from the artificial lights outside. His facial expression forever angry and tense as red markings covered the top of his draconic red eyes, spikes protruding out of his head on either side to give him an even fiercer look.

"Bring him to me," the dragon stated calmly. "I've read the report. He's suffering from amnesia, both a fortune and a misfortune for us."

Across the room stood a ghastly creature, she hovered from the floor as she bowed down, her blue eyes shining brightly in contrast to her white colors. She appeared to have arms coming from her head, clasping two hands downwards that appeared to be a part of a kimono. An orange bow wrapped around what could be her waist. Her purple face covered from some sort of mask.

"You know he's dangerous. You shouldn't be making this risky of a move, sir." She stood back up as she carefully watched the dragon. "I suggest we restrain him, just in case he-"

The dragon lifted one of his forearms to silence her. "I understand the consequences. I merely want to confirm the report in person before I make my decision. This is a rare opportunity. I see no other way to go forward besides being 100% sure."

"Then please restrain him if all you want to do is question," she snapped. Her tone of voice quickly becoming irritated, "your stalling tactics won't help us this time, sir."

"We need him to be comfortable. We need him to know that we can be trusted." He glared back at her, his stance still stoic and proud. "If we have him on our side, then perhaps we can end a cycle of chaos."

She growled, she didn't think his plan would hold fruition. However she found no reason to argue. She took in a breath, grumbling softly at her frustration. "As you wish, I'll send word and will bring him shortly." She turned away and floated out of the room through a grand set of doors. The doors parted way as she drifted, stopping only for a moment to look back at the dragon. "By the _Meis_ I hope you're right about this."

The dragon was no longer looking at her. He gazed back to the outer world. It was his city after all. He knew he was making a risky decision and he could jeopardize lives if something went wrong, but he was confident this was the right move. He didn't respond back to her comment, he had said enough regarding the matter. She understood his silence and drifted off again, the doors closing behind her, leaving him to ponder about possible outcomes.

~~~~~0~~~~~

Images of dark skies clouded his vision. He felt alone, afraid, a monstrous force was unleashed. Screams echoed faintly through the vision, a slaughter. He saw fallen figures, blood oozing from each of them, but he could not comprehend what they were. Comrades, friends, he couldn't tell. He then saw an image of a floating construct, he was standing on it. Everything around him was cracked, destroyed, and in ruins. More figures lay, but that's not what caught his attention.

Before him was an image only a psychopath could possibly come up with. It was very alien, very big, and very awful. It looked as if it was both mechanical and organic at the same time. The unholy monster screeched, it pierced his ears as he attempted to cover them. He then felt pressure as he saw himself falling through cracks. He heard a yell, someone calling out, but it was distorted. He felt like this was the absolute end, he was going to die.

With a jolt, Donovan woke up. He felt cold sweat. He shook as he suddenly became aware of his surroundings. The heart monitor beeping rapidly as it started to calm down. He moved his arms as he attempted to wipe himself from the sweat. That's when he realized he could move freely. He looked around the empty room, Marcus didn't come back. He wondered how long he had been out for.

He pulled the blankets away, putting his attention back to his feet and tail. He moved his stubby little toes, but he wondered if he could walk or even run on them. They didn't seem like it could support him. He then attempted to move his tail. He made it twitch a little with concentration. He knew it. He wasn't this "Snivy" at all. How could he forget basic motor functions? Marcus must've been telling the truth, which means whatever he was before was long gone.

He heard doors open. He quickly directed his attention to whoever just came in. It was Marcus, thankfully someone familiar as oddly as he felt that was. Marcus grinned at the sight of Donovan moving freely. "Looks like you're already learning."

Donovan quickly responded with an apology, "I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't know that was a touchy subject."

Marcus simply took a claw waved it to Donavon as he kept that grin. "Don't worry about that, I need you to start walking soon. It appears you have attendance with the headmaster, an honor for sure of someone who still is bearing his wits."

"Headmaster?" he repeated, he recognized that word too. "Am I in a school?"

Marcus chuckled, "You can think of it like that, but no, this is a Pokécenter as I said earlier." He walked closer to Donovan, extending a claw to take off some wires that connected him to the heart monitor and other instruments. He then backed up and offered a claw to him, gesturing Donovan to grab on. "A guide is waiting for you right now, I wanted a few days, but it seems like the headmaster wants you sooner than expected. You need as much physical practice as you can if you want to go to him."

Donovan was reluctant to grab a hold, he still didn't trust Marcus. He felt he didn't have a choice in the matter, so he grabbed the pointed claw as Marcus helped pull him to the side of the bed. Donovan looked at the ground and felt if he jumped down he would break his legs with his stubby toes.

"Ready?" Marcus asked. He put his claws under Donovan's arm so he could pick and settle him down.

Donovan nodded. Marcus then grabbed a hold of him as best he could and gently picked him up. Donovan felt the pressure on his arms as Marcus quickly settled him down on the ground. He felt his feet hit the cold floor as he leaned against the side of the bed. This felt oddly familiar, but he really was curious to see if he could move his tail standing up. Sure enough, he still couldn't do anything but make it twitch as it naturally went upwards. He didn't consciously make it go upwards. He tilted his head in confusion. Marcus only watched as he monitored.

Donovan then leaned off the side of the bed and attempted to balance, it was a weird sensation. The weight of his tail making his body want to fall backwards, but it was cancelled by how his body stood in an arch. After finding a balance, he attempted a few steps, looking at his stubby toes as he took small baby steps. It felt natural, but he had to continuously fight the balance. It wasn't long before he found a comfortable balance to rely on as he took more baby steps. He began to walk longer strides that soon turned to normal walking speed. Or rather as fast as his stubby toes could go. He still couldn't seem to move his tail freely.

"You mastered yourself pretty quickly. You do continue to impress." Marcus walked over to the door and motioned him to follow. "I'll escort you to the lobby. As I said, a guide is waiting for you as we speak. You shouldn't keep the headmaster waiting."

Donovan followed suit. He still didn't think he had much of a choice on what he should do. It was fairly obvious this headmaster was the person to get some answers, but he also wondered why someone with that title would call for him. Made no sense to him if he knew nothing, it should be the other way around.

Both of them walked down the halls of the Pokécenter. They were mostly empty with a few strewn trays and stretchers along walls. They passed by doors, but Donovan couldn't see anything inside. He realized how much shorter he was compared to Marcus. It was as if he was a toddler, he had to keep up with Marcus's long strides as he waddled through, his blue tail swaying with each step.

Marcus broke the silence, "By chance do you know your age?" The question caught Donovan off guard as he tried to recall of any age.

He suddenly had a flash vision, he faintly saw a card with incomprehensible words with a number. The number was oddly clearer than anything else in his distorted memory. It read the number "21". He then clutched his head in pain as he felt a headache spiked through him. He yelped as he stumbled forward, crashing to the floor.

Marcus stopped and curiously looked at him. He looked like he expected that to happen, almost wanting it to happen as he waited patiently. Donovan groaned as the pain slowly subsided. He didn't know what to make of that sudden pain. He finally remembered something about himself. The pain was excruciating. He tried to see if he could picture that image again, but he couldn't, he couldn't remember that distorted note. He cursed at himself as he grew tired of this. He did remember that number still, but what good was it unless he knew what that number meant.

"21, I think I'm 21," he mumbled as he picked himself off from the floor. Marcus nodded and motioned him to keep following.

"You're quite the rare exception." They turned a corner heading to a set of doors with an exit sign at the end. They entered the lobby, several creatures sat on chairs as they directed their gaze at Marcus and Donovan. Donovan quickly learned Marcus was right about the diverse part. No Pokéuman looked alike. One appeared to look like a normal bird as it set down a magazine with its wings. Another appeared to be a very large purple cobra as it coiled around a seat, napping.

They approached the counter. Donovan saw a big round pink creature as it nodded to Marcus. Though what caught his attention was a creature that was hovering. Marcus walked up to the hovering Pokéuman.

"He's ready to travel with you, but he's still not use to his body. Go easy on him." The creature looked at Donovan with her blue eyes. It then smiled as a female voiced popped.

"So you're the new one, welcome!" she said enthusiastically. Donovan was taken aback by the sudden welcome. He stepped back a bit as he flailed his arms, almost tripping himself.

"One of these days, Amy, you're going to scare someone so bad that I'm going to have to blame you for why they had a panic attack," Marcus chuckled as he looked towards Donovan as well. "Well, this is your guide. She'll try to explain everything."

Donovan didn't take his eyes off of those blue eyes, for some reason, he was terrified of her, and once again he didn't know why. It was a gut feeling mostly as he doesn't, again, recall ever seeing this Pokéuman. She giggled as she floated over and offered a hand to him.

"What's wrong? I won't bite, you silly dilly." She smiled as she winked. "Well maybe a little bite, but not hard!"

Donovan stuttered in fear, "W-what are you?"

"I'm a Froslass, I'm a Pokéuman just like you," she responded happily back. Marcus turned back to her and cleared his throat for her attention.

"Now if I may, I got other patients to look over. Tell the headmaster my regards." He nodded towards Amy as did she. He walked back towards the set of double doors they went out of. Donovan stared, he wonder if he was ever going to see him again.

"Alright, you ready to go?" she asked Donovan making him jump. He turned towards her, examining her figure. She had arms coming out of her head, he found that really bizarre, but then again, he's in the presence of a bird sitting on a chair reading magazines. That was normal as it was going to get he assumed.

"Um, yeah, but… uh…" he muttered as he looked underneath Amy to see that she was indeed not touching the ground. "How are you floating?"

Her response was another giggle as she covered her mouth as if she didn't mean to do that. "Many new Pokéumans ask me this question, the best I can answer is the energy I harness. You probably don't know what I mean when I say that, but trust me!"

So far, Donovan liked the friendly nature of Amy, but he was still terrified of her. He really wished he knew why. "Alright, oh and… why does the headmaster want to see me and who exactly is he?"

She nodded at his question understanding he would have many questions like this for her. "He's the guy that runs this base, he's the leader and found you interesting. I was sent from him actually, he wishes to discuss your arrival and what to do to settle in.

"Base?" he confusedly repeated. "What do you mean, 'base'? And for that matter, what do you mean 'settle'? I don't know what's going on, you expect me to just accept this?"

Amy nodded again, "I understand your concern, that's why the headmaster wants to see you. We know about your tragic accident and your loss of memory."

Donovan sighed, this wasn't fair. "So I just go to this guy, tells me what I should do, and I go my merry way with a completely new life that I know nothing about?"

Amy shook her head. "It's not like that at all. A lot of Pokéumans have no idea what to do when they learn they are one. Trust me, when we go to the headmaster, all you need to know will be told, and then you can choose what you want to do with what he tells you."

"So essentially, that is the way." He really didn't like the idea that he felt he was about to be controlled by this headmaster guy. He's fine with getting some answers. He's not fine with someone telling him what he should do for the rest of his life, especially if he doesn't know anything.

Amy drifted towards him and motioned to the glass doors. Donovan didn't really look outside, but it did make him curious. It looked like he was in a city by the looks of it, he saw sunlight outside. He made his way past Amy with her following close. He got closer to the doors as he looked upwards, what he saw made his jaw drop in awe. He parted through the doors to get a better view.

As he stood in front of the Pokécenter with Amy drifting next to him, he looked around. He saw buildings upon buildings that were composed of metal. Some of them reaching to the ceiling of a room that held everything within, the sunlight he thought he saw was just one super bright light on the ceiling. He saw vehicles being driven from which he's never seen before as different Pokéumans walked the metal streets. In the center of this huge area was a large cylindrical structure that connected to the ceiling.

He stepped back as he took everything in. Amy looked at him and to what he was looking at. She stared at the structure in the middle, new arrivals always seemed to be transfixed to the center of the base.

"Welcome to Espérer, your new home."


	2. Stage 2: Unfamiliar Non-Consequences

**Temperamental Singularity**  
_Stage 2: Unfamiliar Non-Consequences_

"Wait, are we actually going to that huge thing in the center?" Donovan asked bewilderedly as the pair of Pokéumans entered what appeared to be a tram station. He was still baffled at the sheer magnitude of the size this underground city was. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought that it spanned a good 10-15 miles in diameter, if not more.

Amy nodded as they passed by signs. Indicating and directing travelers to go towards their destination. They followed the signs that read 'Terminal 11' with Amy leading. Donovan, having nothing better to do, looked around the station to see other types of Pokéumans. He saw what resembled a groundhog chatting with another floating Pokéuman that looked like it was purely made out of gravel. In another area he noticed a bat with arms that ended with pincers that was laughing at a not so happy Pokéuman which looked like a huge purple centipede.

"Yeppers, that's where the headmaster is waiting, he likes his heights, mmhmm!" She then started to dance a little as she made some noises with her mouth while drifted onwards. Donovan didn't know if personalities down here were this drastic and different from the normal world. Not that he could recall the normal world, but he was certain that people who had roles, like 'guiding', would not be this unprofessional. Or maybe this was just her way to make him feel better, not like it worked, but if that was the case it was a nice gesture he thought.

They approached another counter that Donovan couldn't see over. He didn't like that, but he knows he's going to have to get used to this with his small stature. Amy began speaking as she obviously had no problem, even if she were to be small like Donovan.

"Excuse me," she happily chirped to get the attention of a mouse-like Pokéuman. It turned around from putting files away. It's grey fur being wrapped by the white fluff around its body.

"Oh, sorry, how can I help you?" She perked as she bowed in apology. She then gasped as if she realized who she was helping. "Oh my! To what honor I bestow to the head guide?"

Donovan looked confusedly at Amy at this sudden news. Amy giggled it off and waved her hands at the Pokéuman at the counter. "Aww, you don't need to give me praise, I'm just doing my job and escorting this cute Snivy." She nodded at Donovan which made the Pokéuman at the counter climb a little her space and peer down at him.

"Oh, so I see!" She looked back up at Amy. "Is he new? Always nice to see new faces."

Amy nodded. "Yep, so I'm showing him around the base. Poor little guy's confused on where to go."

The Pokéuman got off the counter. "So, where are you two going today?" She asked as she looked at a monitor at the counter and started to type away.

"We need access to docking '1-A-T' please." She then suddenly had a certain gleam in her eye as she instantly let her smile slide. Donovan didn't notice this sudden change as he looked behind him at the other Pokéumans in the area.

The Pokéuman finished typing the commands before she stopped and gave a concerned look at what she saw in front of her. "Excuse me, but…" She looked back at a very serious Froslass that was in front of her. She gave her the look to not try to question and nodded at the monitor. She gulped, Amy's destination wasn't a place where new Pokéumans should go or have access to at all.

Donovan noticed she spoke but was cut off so turned around. However, Amy reverted back to her smiling demeanor. "Oh, I hope there's not a problem. I don't mind waiting if there's something wrong with the system." The Pokéuman shook her head as she typed some more commands.

"No, there's no problem, the screen glitched for a minute," she lied as she hit more commands that popped out two cards. She reached out for them and gave both to Amy who cheered softly.

"Yay, thank you, you're awesome!" she exclaimed happily as she handed one of the cards to Donovan. He looked at it. It looked like any other card that he knows of in his distorted mind. It had, what he assumed, the tram station's logo with a series of numbers and a barcode.

The Pokéuman at the counter shook her head. "Oh, not a problem, have a good trip!"

Amy nodded and motioned Donovan to follow again. The Pokéuman continued to look at the two, but mostly at Donovan. 'Who was this Snivy?' she wondered. On her monitor were still the commands she inputted for the two. It read 'Executive Transport, Level P clearance requested, authorization head guide, clearance granted. User, as is in protocol 6, you are now under surveillance and under a nondisclosure agreement. Contacting anyone will be punishable by exile, thank you.'

The two walked out of sight from her as they crossed other terminals with other Pokéumans requesting places to go. Donovan hadn't realized just how diverse this race was. He wondered if it even was a race anymore, it seemed like there were hundreds of races in this Pokéuman group. He has yet to see a Pokéuman that looked like the other. He then thought that with this much diversity, many cultural clashes could've happened. He had to know if there was anything he had to know regarding that.

"So, just how many Pokéumans are there?" he asked as they stopped on an escalator going up.

"You mean how many are here? Or you mean just how many different races?" She delightfully asked back as she went back to her dancing. She didn't let Donovan answer the question as she kept going, "I don't know firsthand how many of us are in this base, but I believe there's round 718 different types of…"

Donovan stopped her as he was again baffled. Just how many times is he going to be awe struck at the ridiculousness of the situation he's in? "What!? 718 races?" Amy floated away a little at the outburst. "How the, wha-? That can't be right, with that many races, there has to be trouble around here."

She smiled. "No, not at all actually, I mean we do have some people causing trouble, but not often, no."

They reached the end of the escalator with Donovan still following Amy. He noticed there weren't as many Pokéumans around here, but he did spot what appeared to be a tiny green lizard with bulging eyes walking around with two legs talking on what Donovan hopefully thought was a phone.

"I don't know, I mean with that many races. It seems like something that could just blow up because of everyone's different appearance."

Amy giggled at his reasoning. "Well, we Pokéumans accept that there are a lot of different types and usually new arrivals know this. It wouldn't be nice to not let some in, ya know?"

Donovan hummed at the response. Perhaps this was some type of utopia for Pokéumans. He wouldn't imagine it was that perfect, but something that's close to one. "So no conflicts, huh? Well that's good. That means I won't be getting any slack because I'm so small and whatever I am, a 'Snie-vee' you guys keep calling me?"

"I can't promise anything, but I don't think someone that's different would cause a problem if you're different." She winked. "Besides, who would want to cause trouble with someone as adorable as you, hmm?"

Donovan looked at her confused at the sudden flirt. He quickly smiled back for once though, his past fears of her sliding away bit by bit. He really liked her quirky personality. It's a little bit odd that she does it with her job, but it was something to ease his mind.

They reached an area where there was a small tram, or what looked like a tram. Donovan looked around, odd. There weren't any Pokéumans around this platform. With a city this big he would think there would be at least one or two, but there was no one around but them.

Amy saw him pondering and knew he was wondering exactly that. "I can see by your face that you're confused by the lack of anyone here." She looked at him with a smile and clasped her hands together. "Well, it's not every day someone sees the headmaster. This tram goes directly to the center, the administrative building."

Donovan looked around again, but it didn't make sense, even if this place wasn't very public, there had to be some Pokéumans around that would go there. "Then how come there's no Pokéumans around that work there and where are the dock workers?"

"Oh, there are not a lot of them and they're all in there. The administrators all enter and leave at the same time. We're the exception right now because the headmaster asked me to get you." She paused for a moment to answer the next part. "As for no one here that works here, I wouldn't know."

Donovan thought he saw a gleam in her eyes when she paused, but he dismissed it by his eyes playing tricks on him with the lights. Amy however almost lost her carefree personality because there was a reason why no one was here and he was asking something that was hard to lie about. She really wanted to just strap him down and stop pretending to be nice to him. The headmaster wanted confirmations and answers, she wanted to restrain and control him.

It was a shame that he had no memory at the moment, if he did, this 'escort' would be nothing more but a locked cage with him crying out in anger. The thought made her smile. For now she would follow the headmasters lead and his 'big headed' idea. She saw his points, but she took pleasure in thinking of the alternatives.

"If you say so, I just think it's odd." He examined the tram that was before him. It was decorated in a series of shades of yellow and red, the gold patterns on the windows complimenting the red coat that separated the two. "This looks really fancy," he commented.

"The markings on the tram are for others to see this is a tram going to the center building. Like I said, it ain't everyday someone is called to the headmaster." She drifted forwards and motioned him to follow her into one of the compartments.

As they went in the tram, Donovan noticed that even inside was heavily decorated. It really made him feel that this tram was for important individuals only. He suddenly felt insignificant. Was he someone important maybe? Was that why he was going to see the headmaster? Questions entered his mind again as he looked at Amy who was humming to herself gleefully. Would she know perhaps?

"I'm wondering, am I someone important?" Amy stopped her humming as she looked and listened. "I mean, the headmaster calling me, the head guide coming to get me, going on a tram that no one else is on. There's gotta be something else going on that you're not telling me."

Amy thought of how to answer that. He was very much right, he was someone important. Very important in fact, but she refuses to tell him anything. In her eyes, he was criminal scum, someone who had no right to be here. She didn't know for sure, but she believes that he probably did something that would bring horror to her beloved home. _Why else would he still be alive?_

"You'll just have to wait and find out from the headmaster," she giggled back. "He didn't tell me why he wanted you or what you do. He just wanted me to get you, that's all, promise!" She held back the urge to scold and yell at him. She caught herself almost clutching her hands, but stopped before he would notice.

Donovan didn't buy it, but he was going to play along for now. He was going to learn something regardless of what his role here was. He was sure that the 'head guide' knows what's going on. Why wasn't she willing to say? He could only speculate as he felt the tram starting to move and the doors behind them closing.

A beep was heard as several lights flashed within the compartment. Donovan frantically looked around to see why there were lights going off, but moments later they stopped with a satisfied beep. Amy smirked briefly at the worried Snivy before calming his curiosity.

"Oh, don't mind that, that was just checking for the cards we got," she calmly stated as she once more began to dance in place. Donovan had almost forgotten about the cards and looked at it closely from his grip. He thought perhaps the card will tell him anything about himself. Doubtful, but he was becoming really curious with himself.

The tram left the station as it began it's journey above the city on it's personal track. The metal sheens from the grand light on the ceiling. Many other tracks and trams could be seen from this viewpoint as they too glistened from the light. Donovan looked out from one of the windows to witness the vista. He was still very much in awe that such a place could exist. It was a beautiful sight as well curious. He began to imagine just how a city this large underground was powered and maintained. The thought of trying to imagine the scope of power this city needed made his head spin.

The tram crisscrossed several tracks, going over and under some. Donovan caught glimpses at the other trams. None of them were as decorated as the one they were on. His mind continued to race with questions upon questions, but he knew that the more important ones were not going to get answered. At least not answered by Amy.

"Now, about that energy you mentioned in the hospital," he started to get Amy's attention from dancing to herself. "You're right that I don't understand, but is there a way you can show me this energy?" He paused briefly before shaking his head and waving his hands in panic, "Not that I don't believe you, but just so I can see what you were talking about."

She smiled as she began dancing in place again. "Yeah, I can show you, not all Pokéumans have the energy I have, but we all carry some amount!" she happily explained as she raised an arm. She then closed her eyes as she started to hum at her own dancing, Donovan noticed that the air around her palm began to swirl and swell as if something was hot and hazy.

Suddenly, a burst of dark light floated from her palm as a blue light mysteriously glowed from the orb of energy. Donovan stared at this phenomena, she started to let the energy bounce in her palm as she moved her hand so the orb would lazily bounce at her fingertips. She opened her eyes to look at her work before looking back at Donovan's stunned expression.

"Every Pokéuman has the power to do this, ya know." She smiled wide. "Some are more able to do than others. I'm more in tune with my own energy because I need it to move."

"Does it hurt to touch?" he wonderingly questioned as he continue to watch the glowing orb bounce on her fingers.

"Yeppers, and it's even more dangerous when I make it bigger!" As she said that, she placed the orb back in her palm as it began to grow and intensify in size.. "And it's especially dangerous when I burst it out of my hand!" She looked around to see if she can use an example to showcase. There was nothing she can show her raw power, so she let the energy reduce in size as she began to play with it again.

"And you're saying I can do that?" he wondered, his fears quickly returning. Why did he have that nagging hunch that he had seen this before? Maybe he does know her, if he was someone important, then he must know her. But why, why did he fear her so much? He began to ponder this thought as she let the ball of energy burst in a harmless set of sparks before giggling at her handy-work.

"No need for you to be worried about me hitting you with this." She crunched her hand to a fist and stuck out a finger. "It would be against one of our 'codes' here in Espérer: 'Undo to others of fatal strikes'." She waved waved it around with that smile on her face still. "That means no funny business, cutie." She said half-seriously.

Donovan looked back out the window, fixating at the center as the tram neared their destination. He desperately wanted to know who he was now. Things seem to be way too coincidental to just happen by chance. He began to wonder if he knew this 'energy' himself. Would he remember how to use it? He grunted loudly in frustration as another tram passed by them underneath.

~~~~~0~~~~~

An alert was sound. Yellow lights began to blink for an incoming tram. Pokéumans rushed to the private docking station, already knowing who's coming and what the reasoning is. Not a word was said as they scattered into formation surrounding the area. Some of them blocked passages as others stationed themselves to oversee and protect.

What was distinctive about these group of Pokéumans were they all had an insignia displayed on their persona in some way. The symbol was circle shaped with a line going through the middle, the top being red with two starts and the bottom being white with another pair of stars. In the middle of the symbol was a smaller circle with a ranking mark. This was the only part that was different from person to person.

"Alright you wimps, we have precious cargo on board that's inbound ETA 5 minutes," sounded the high squeal of a Pokéuman. He walked along the formation's path with his blade-like arms behind his back. His wings flicked slightly as he scraped his blades together slowly to show their lethal potential. He looked like a giant grasshopper, but didn't have any extra limbs besides his legs and arms. His red eyes contrasted against his hard green skin, baring his fangs to those watching his every step. If someone only saw the face, they would think it was some type of dragon.

"We have our orders: Do not engage the Snivy unless otherwise stated. Protect m'lady if things get too ugly. Most importantly, don't let his appearance fool you. Intel says our cargo is small, but it can pack a mean dent in your sorry hides."

He turned and paced back, daring anyone that would talk back and question him. They all knew he was in charge, and he was not going to let any backhanded comments go through. Not for something as important as what's on that tram.

"Reports state the Snivy has amnesia. Don't let your guard down, people who tend to forget how to fight pick up how to fight pretty quickly again if engaged. Do not speak to him unless asked directly to do so by me or m'lady. We need him in the dark as much as possible before we bring him to the headmaster here."

He turned again and approached the tracks, glaring back at everyone as they stood at attention. He smirked. He was proud of his squad and proud of being assigned to a mission of this importance.

"And don't scare the little guy too much. After all, he's fresh meat. Any questions?"

"SIR, NO SIR!"

"Damn right," he started as he extended his arms forward, folding them and bowing. "For our Meis!"

Everyone in the room did the same motions. Every Pokéuman bowing down as they repeated the line that he yelled out. Then the yellow lights stopped flashing as the alert faded. He stopped his bowing and looked at the doors, he knew this was the sign that the tram arrived. The docking bay doors made a loud hiss as it mechanically parted away. The patterned tram slowly made its way through the open path toward the squad. It then came to a halt with a distinct click as the doors behind clamped back shut.

A Snivy was looking out the window of the tram with a look of dread and fear in his face.

~~~~~0~~~~~

"Amy, what's with all these people?" Donovan nervously asked, the back of throat felt as if it clogged itself shut. He tried to swallow as he shivered, he felt very vulnerable. Amy stopped dancing and giggling, she simply smiled at the fear that swelled inside of him.

"This is the place of political power, these guards are stationed here in case something freaky happens." She leaned down and whispered. "By the way, don't worry, unless you do something weird, they won't hurt you."

That didn't ease his fears. The tram doors opened and Amy motioned him to follow. He reluctantly complied with a nod and stepped through the door. He saw an insect looking Pokéuman standing next to the door, not even looking at him. Amy pushed him forward so he would exit the tram. Without him noticing, Amy nodded to the insect Pokéuman who nodded back.

"Hey, what're you doing?" he cried as he tumbled, almost tripping on himself. Amy didn't say anything as she drifted further along and motioned once more. He noticed she was starting to become less and less cheery suddenly. He didn't have the courage to ask her about her sudden change in mood however, not with these Pokéumans standing around like statues. Following suit with a small sigh, Amy directed Donovan toward a passage that wasn't blocked by the guards.

"The headmaster is above us, this is the way to the elevator. Make sure you don't stray and get lost," she said in a serious tone. Her delightful personality had gone away, she didn't need to pretend anymore in this place. She didn't care if he knows or not, he would remember about her anyways sooner or later. She would still rather have Donovan restrained in case he did something, but orders were orders.

They walked through a series of grand halls. Every one of them they traveled seem to be decorated to the brim. Ornaments hanged from the ceiling, chandeliers lit the path, and several paintings were aligned to the walls here and there. Donovan felt like he was walking in a mansion with these halls.

They eventually came to an equally grandish room to match the hallways that had one giant hole in the center. Amy drift towards with Donovan slowly coming to a stop as he approached the edge and look down. Amy paid his uneasy gesture no attention as she floated above the circle.

"Hey, wait, I can't fly!" Amy stopped and looked at him sternly. Her sudden change in personality really made him uncomfortable.

"You won't fall, this is the elevator I was talking about." She huffed. "Now please, we can't delay the headmaster because of your worries. I assure you that you're safe."

Donovan put a foot toward the open air. He was surprised that he felt his foot hit something. He tapped his foot at it, it didn't make any noise but he was definitely tapping at something. He put weight on it, taking another slow step forward. He looked down and saw many floors below, he instantly shivered and locked up. He was standing on nothing, how was this even possible?

"See?" she annoyingly started as she looked away. "Now put aside your fears, the headmaster wishes your first meeting with him won't be one filled with terror." She half-heartedly said. She would very much enjoy seeing him fear the headmaster as she is enjoying herself right now. She wasn't going to let him know about that though.

Donovan looked around nervously, feeling extremely vulnerable and overstrung. He felt that in any moment he would plummet down. He walked nervously to Amy when he suddenly felt pressure hit him upwards. His eyes widened as he flailed, looking around in disbelief as he saw himself going upwards. It was a slow uplift at first, but he was quickly gaining momentum as he passed the floor above them.

Amy took quick glances at the stressed Snivy as they passed another floor. Her eyes seemingly glowed with a passive expression on her face. Her hands convulsed into fists and back as she kept her temper. She sighed softly to herself. She was getting angry by just watching his natural reaction. She cursed under her sigh, annoyed at her own lack of self-control with her fluctuating temper.

They passed by several more floors, all of them looking identical from the previous. After a few moments, the pressure underneath Donovan began to diminish and he started to gasp as he desperately looked for something to cling on. In his motions, he tripped on himself as he fell and landed on nothing. Amy simply glanced at him again before turning again. They stopped into another identical floor with several branching grand hallways. Amy drifted towards the closest one to her and motioned for Donovan to follow once more.

Donovan looked back down, still uneasy being on nothing, and gathered himself back up. He quickly jogged as best as he could out of the circle, making his way to solid ground next to Amy. Once he stepped over the threshold, he sighed in relief as he planted his feet on visible floor. Amy didn't look impressed by his natural antics and drifted along towards the hallway, not saying a word.

He followed, adrenaline rushing through him after his fright. He was curious on Amy's sudden change in personality. He had the adrenaline courage to ask such a question. "So, why are you serious and tense all of a sudden? Am I in trouble?" he added in, not really paying his second question any attention.

Amy didn't turn or stop to answer the question. She was tired of talking to him, she had done her part. In her mind, all the questions he asked should be told by the headmaster and not her. She did not want to be part of this or near him for that matter. Knowing the headmaster, she just knows he'll make her stay in the room and escort him elsewhere. With this knowledge, she sighed to herself, making sure he didn't hear that, and answered after a long pause.

"These are the sacred halls of this base's pride. We must respect for what it represents and respect why we are all here today and hopefully the future."

They turned a corner, passing more paintings of scenery and plants. The lights overhead swung quietly as Amy continued.

"It represents our strength, our courage, our hopes and dreams. This pillar represents our wrath as well as our bond for the need and helpless. This pillar represents us, Pokéumans, as a society among the world we share with the humans."

They approached another hall. Donovan didn't think the halls could become anymore grand in appearance, but he was proven wrong this hall widened and at the end were a set of equally grand doors. The door was decorated beautifully with gold plating and symbols that Donovan can't even begin to comprehend. It definitely rang 'headmaster' in his mind as the two approached the door.

"In short, this facility is a respectable place. It's my duty to show respect to such a symbol of this base." She glanced at Donovan before turning around to look behind him. She saw the guards that were at the station. They were now blocking the only exit from where the two were at.

Donovan looked behind as well as she stared at the guards. He didn't expect to see the same guards. The grasshopper looking Pokéuman was standing in front of the blockade with his blade arms crossed. Donovan's adrenaline rush had just slipped away as his nerves became shot again.

"Were they following this entire time?" he asked Amy nervously. She didn't answer as she started to drift backwards and turn around towards the set of doors. He gulped and followed Amy, a feeling of dread washing over him like an incoming tidal wave. The doors parted away to let the duo through. He looked back behind him to see the green Pokéuman walk towards them as they passed the opening. He was suddenly stopped by Amy as she extended her arm downwards to him, making him stumble back as he regained his posture.

"You will not speak unless spoken to, do you understand?" she coldly grumbled. Donovan nodded, as the green Pokéuman walking next to Amy with a nod. She nodded back and directed her attention to the end of the room at a desk. Windows extended the entirely of the wall on the far side as light shined through the window. It overlooked part of the base below, capturing the sheer magnitude of the base for all to see.

Along the window was a silhouette of a beast behind a well-polished desk. His red, reptilian eyes pierced the group before him, examining them intently. He looked toward the green Pokéuman. He was saluting to him and standing at attention. He then drifted his piercing gaze to Amy. She was also saluting, but with that passive expression still on her face. Finally his eyes rolled to Donovan. He wasn't saluting or standing at attention. He was nervously looking around, his eyes widened and pupils dilated as he took in the vast room.

The beast curled his lips to what appeared to be a smirk. He chuckled deeply and softly, sending shivers down Donovan's spine as he focused his attention on this draconic figure. This was certainly not what he imagined the headmaster to look like. The most distinctive feature Donovan took notice were the three protruding spikes extending from his head.

"Welcome, Donovan," the beast started, his deep voice echoing across the room. "I hope your arrival here was a pleasant one." The dragon walked from his desk, showcasing his size and dominance proudly for the three. He moved to the front of the desk, puffing his chest slightly to appear intimidating, looking down at Donovan with curiosity. "I trust you recovered well?"

Donovan's throat became dry. He didn't know if he should fear this monster because of his appearance or because he was trying to calm him. He backed away slightly, but Amy quickly pushed him back beside her and growled annoyingly. The headmaster just chuckled at his reaction, raising one of his forearms and placing a claw in front of Donovan.

"I see your fear and your concern." he said, motioning his claw to Donovan. "I swear on my honor this meeting is not one for violence. I offer you my bond ship. Please accept this as a symbol of this trust."

Donovan was hesitant to grab his claw. He began to sweat as even more thoughts crossed his mind. He was afraid that if he did something wrong in this dragon's presence that something terrible would happen. A cold chill rushed up as he shivered at the possibilities of him getting mauled.

"I understand your reluctance. I too would not be as trusting if I was suddenly flung into a world I never knew existed."

In the back of his mind, he knew he really couldn't refuse this 'trust'. He wasn't in a position to say no and everyone in the room probably knew it. Shaking, he reached out and grabbed ahold of the beast's claw. The claw clasped around his hand as he felt the pressure of the dragon's firm grip.

"I really do hope you trust me. I'm not here to cause harm, I can assure you." He then looked over to the two others still standing at attention. "Amy, I need you to stay here."

She nodded in response, understanding perfectly well what the headmaster meant by that request.

He then turned his attention to the other Pokéuman. "Colt, you're dismissed."

He extended his arms forward, crossed them, and then bowed at the headmaster's request. He took one last glance at Donovan before turning and exiting the room. Donovan looked as he left, noticing that the guards were still there at the end of the hall.

"Now then, Donovan. Truly, do you not recall anything?" the headmaster began, letting go of Donovan's hand as he gave him a curious stare.

He turned back his attention to the dragon, the doors closing behind him once more. He nervously shook his head, afraid to say anything to him.

"I see." He closed his eyes in deep thought. "Very well, the proper courtesy would be me introducing myself to a new arrival." He opened his eyes. "My name is Ethan, I'm a Salamence in Pokéuman terms and I oversee Espérer, the base you're currently in. I'm sure you already knew about the latter, but I wanted to make it apparent in case you had any doubts."

Amy drifted away from the two as she made her way to Ethan's desk. Donovan definitely noticed the sudden move, but Ethan paid it no attention as he knew what she was going to do. He motioned Donovan to follow as he began to stroll to the window. Donovan followed, still knowing he couldn't say no to anything Ethan wanted him to do.

"It's only fair I tell you why you're here." He stopped as soon as he approached the window and looked down to the glittering base below. "Unfortunately that's what I would like to say, but with your loss of memory, I can't tell you why and this is why what I'm about to say will make things harder."

Donovan reached him and looked at him with confusion. Was he right about his suspicion that he was someone important here? Ethan's statement made him convinced even more than before. He was still afraid to ask him the question he's dying to know. He wanted to know who exactly he was and how important he really was.

"I really hope you take these words at heart. You're unique, and I'm sorry, but that's the only thing I can reveal about you. I'm sure you're interested on who you are by now. Please understand I don't mean to withhold information." He glanced at Donovan without turning his head. "It's for your best interest to keep you safe."

This angered Donovan. He was still frightened by Ethan, but he was furious. The people that know him refuse to tell him anything. It angered him even more that the 'leader' was withholding information too. Why was he being denied knowledge of his past? He didn't understand it, and certainly didn't understand why it would be something that could hurt him.

"I see the fire in your eyes. They burn in a rage that I know you must be experiencing." He chuckled softly as his gaze went back to the base below. "It's good to see even with your loss of memory, you still have that passion."

Donovan became angrier. So he did know who Ethan was before. He clenched his hands into fists, his fear quickly being overshadowed by his rising anger. He was getting annoyed that someone he apparently knows won't say anything to him.

"I wonder if you still like that that homebrew coffee we enjoy sometimes."

Donovan felt a surge of energy course through him, but he didn't care, he was livid. The air around him began to swirl. He was about to scream at him. That was until he noticed the sudden leaves wrapping around him. His anger quickly was taken back as he watched the leaves suddenly stop as they floated gently to the ground. A look of sudden shock and confusion was smacked on his face.

Ethan smirked. "You were always this excited when we came to talk about coffee."

Donovan looked back at him angrily, his fear gone for the moment to brave a response back. "Stop it!" he yelled. "Why are you teasing me if you won't tell me who I am?"

The smirk never left Ethan's maw. "Easy, to prove something to myself," he calmly stated back, looking back down. "In due time, I'm confident your memories will come back. Until then though, I can't discuss who you are, and really, I apologize."

"I don't understand!" he cried, his anger rising again. "You expect me to just accept that you know me and you can't tell me who I am? Does any of this sound screwed up to you? Please, enlighten me why not telling me who the heck I am is protecting me."

Ethan chuckled softly as if he expected an outburst. "You were always quick to temper as well."

Donovan shook his head in disbelief. He didn't know what Ethan was trying to do, but it irritated him that the leader wasn't going to answer the most important question and was throwing random tidbits about him. "Fine, if you're not going to tell me who I am, then at least tell me what this place is. Where exactly am I?"

Ethan nodded, not taking his gaze off the base still. "Well as I said, you're in Espérer. It's one of our biggest underground bases in the world if not indeed the grandest."

"Wait, we're underground?" Donovan looked at the ceiling to where the biggest light source was shining. How could such a place exist underground?

"Indeed, we're currently ten miles down from the surface."

"Serious?" he asked bewildered. He suddenly had a higher sense of appreciation of what he's seeing in front of him. A place this massive underground was impressive.

"Yes," he started, looking back at Donovan. "By the way, the energy you released a moment ago, did you realize you were harnessing the power?"

Donovan looked back at Ethan to his question and then looked on the floor to see the leaves on the floor as if fallen from a plant. He quickly did a take around him and didn't see any plant that he could immediately tell.

"As I suspected," he chuckled. "Don't fret, I'm confident you will learn to use it soon enough."

Donovan crouched down to pick up one of the leaves. Were these his leaves? The only leaf-like thing on his form was his own tail which he looked back at. Did he create these leaves somehow?

"Now, back on the underground topic, you might be wondering why this place is underground. I suppose you don't know what our situation as a Pokéumanian race is?"

Donovan shook his head, he didn't think about why they were underground and why there was an entire city underground. Now that Ethan brought it up though, it did make him curious.

"Very well, then allow me to share." He paused briefly as he took an intake of breath. He knows his explanation will be a lengthy one.

"We're fighting a war," he started.


	3. Stage 3: The Pokéxtinctionists

**Temperamental Singularity**  
_Stage 3: The Pokéxtinctionists_

"Can someone tell me just how the hell one god damn person got away from an entire squad?"

It was uncomfortably tense in what appeared to be a conference room. Men in suits were sitting around the table with their heads hanging low. Some had their eyes closed, contemplating the news they all just heard. A frustrated pound was made, adding more tense to the already straining atmosphere of the room.

"Well? Anyone?" continued the person at the end of the table. He scanned the individuals that continued to ponder. His temper already flailing, he wanted to throw a chair or two. With a forced sigh, he tried to relax as he joined in the pondering party. If word gets out that he failed to apprehend the one person he was talking about, he didn't even want to think about it.

"The boss is already angry as is. Losing a specimen into the wild is not going to help the boss's anger. Can anyone fill in the line of logic that needs to be filled with how this exactly happened?"

"Sir," called someone as he read aloud his document in front of him. "It appears they all gave chase to this individual, but reports state this specimen had already developed enough to defend himself. One person who tried to restrain the specimen was killed in the process while five others were severely wounded when they attempted to stop it from escaping the facility."

The person in charge just grunted in response, not seemingly impressed at the specimen's methods of breaking out. "What of the gas? Did that have no effect?"

"The report does mention a gas, states it didn't have an immediate effect and is also the reason the situation escalated to the death of Mr. Roe."

He pondered at that, this gas they used was supposed to render victims helpless and knock them out. The effects are instantaneous as he recalls seeing the gas in action. "Impossible, how did the gas not work?"

"Unknown sir, that's one of the incidents we can't currently explain."

He furrowed his brow and rubbed his temples. This wasn't going to sit well with his boss and everyone in the room knows it. They're all going to get punished in some way, and he hopes that it's not what everyone is probably thinking of. A failure in this organization has serious consequences.

"'Incidents'?" he pushed to the person reading the report.

"Yes, sir. Report also claims the specimen suddenly and violently caused a sudden growth of dangerous plant life as it fled. The remaining team was blocked off by a giant venus flytrap. As of this moment, the plant is still in the compound blocking an exit."

"And I suppose this is how such a small thing got away in one of our own vehicles?"

The person reading the report finally looked up at his superior. His eyes unwavering, but definitely filled with concern. "The vehicle crashed thirty miles on the countryside, there were no signs of a body, sir."

He sighed and looked over to the other men. They all still had their heads down as they took everything in. They were probably still wondering what's going to happen to them. He leaned back in his chair, making it creak under his weight.

"If there was no body at the crash sight, then we can only assume two things have occurred after that. Either the specimen is still out there running, or the Pokéumans got to it first. I highly suspect it's the latter."

"Damn it," grunted the person next to the reporter. "I didn't want to think this could happen, but if the Pokéumans got their hands on him-"

"Then that means we have a huge threat to deal with," he finished for him. "This is a big problem on our shoulders, gentlemen. The boss would want to know about this as soon as possible." He looked around his group with a solemn expression. "But, as you are all probably aware, failure of this magnitude will not go unpunished. Losing as something as valuable as that specimen and going in the hands of those Pokéumans is a major setback for us." He looked down, eyes closed as another sigh left his mouth. "Our incompetence will not be forgotten."

"Why are we the ones taking the blame?" asked another man sitting across the table from the reporter. "The blame should be on our troops, not us. We have nothing to do with putting down specimen 'S'."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess it kind of slipped my mind that you weren't the one in charge of monitoring all activities regarding the specimen." he rebutted back with a stern glare. "My apologies for misunderstanding your position."

He just shook his head in disagreement and backed down. He knew where his place was, he didn't want to make his superior angry.

"I understand the concern that you all might be having, but I assure you I'll see you on the other side of this mess. Meeting adjourned."

They all got up from their seats, not a word was exchanged, no bright faces could be seen in the heavy eyes that they all wore. They all knew too well that not even half will make it through this 'punishment'.

"Bert, Adam, can you stay behind?" he motioned to the two that were contributing to the meeting. Both of them nodded towards him as everyone else made it out of the conference room.

When the room was empty, Bert sighed at their situation. "What do we do now?"

He was a fairly big guy. He wore a gray suit and a pair of tinted cargo pants. He put his hand over his face as he pinched between his eyes. His brown eyes matching that of his black curled mustache as he opened them after his stressed pinch.

"We all know we won't have problems with the boss," Adam started. "The most we'll get is a smack on the hand for letting him getting away."

He was slimmer than the other two. His long black hair swayed slightly as he readjusted his glasses taking another look at the report he was just reading to everyone. His dark eyes gazing menacingly to see if there was anything else he overlooked. His black clothing matching his overall dark tone.

"Right, but we're going to have to do something. This is a threat to us if we don't secure him back. Do we know of any strongholds the Pokéumans may have taken him?" he asked to both Bert and Adam.

Adam shook his head, fisting his hand and placing it under his chin. "No, I'll prepare some men to look in that general area, sir."

"Are we willing to send out more of our troops for only one person?" Bert questioned with a sigh. "I mean, come on Mark, is he really that dangerous?"

Mark stared at Bert for a moment making him shiver. His bright cyan eyes seemingly piercing right through Bert. He closed his eyes as he thought of how to answer.

"More dangerous than you can imagine, I'm afraid. Do you recall those experiments that led the death of half the science team down in Omega?"

"Oh, so that explains it." Adam chirped, still rereading the report. "If he is what I think he is, then this can turn ugly quite fast I imagine."

"Wait, when did he-" Bert let out, but was stopped as Mark opened his eyes abruptly.

"That's not for you to know, but I trust you to keep this information to yourself. Understood?"

Bert gulped, "yes, sir."

"Honestly, if he was that, why wasn't there heavier security?" Adam asked, curious to know if there's more to this incident than what the report reads.

"There was, but well…" Mark didn't know how to answer, he knows full well how this all started. He's the one that ordered for the execution after all. He didn't think his friend would go to the lengths he did.

"Ah, I see," Adam smirked, a gleam in his eyes. "You didn't want to kill him, did you?"

"We had no more use for him, he was to be scheduled to be put down that day." He looked to both Adam and Bert again. "It was not up to debate, he fled the chamber through ventilation shafts."

"And now he's 'back with his kind', so to speak." Adam's smirk widened. "Oh, I'm sure they're welcoming him back quite well, don't you think, sir?"

"Then there's the possibility he's still out there then, right Mark?" Bert hesitantly asked.

"I wouldn't take it pass the Pokéumans to not bring him back. We've outsmarted them numerous times, but they're not stupid. They know a huge war asset when they see one, and this is definitely huge."

Adam shrugged his arms, palms up, and shook his head with that smirk on his face. "A huge war asset? Please, sir, the most his kind is doing at the moment is fearing and questioning his motives. On a whims notice, he could single handedly take out an entire Pokéuman stronghold."

"Which is why it's a huge war asset, Adam." Mark grunted, annoyed at Adam's arrogance. "The Pokéumans will know how to turn him against us, whether by choice or not. Don't underestimate the enemy."

"I just don't see it happening, sir. However, I agree we must get him back before they can understand his power in full. That could be catastrophic to our future operations."

"So why did you need to kill him? Isn't he your friend, Mark?" Bert asked with a strained furrowed brow.

Mark didn't answer right away. It's true, he was friends with the subject in mind. "It was something the boss requested personally. He thought it would be a logical step, given our history."

"Interesting," Adam chimed again, not saying anything else.

"Don't know if I could've put him down myself." Bert added.

"Regardless, as I said, I'm going to send some men out there to see if they can locate the specimen." Adam restated. "There's really no point in trying, but there's always the probability," he added with that smirk again.

"Agreed, dismissed."

Adam chuckled to himself as he walked away from the two. When he was gone, Bert turned to Mark with another question.

"So if he is one of them, does that mean-"

"Yes, it does, Bert." He sighed. "Now if you'll excuse me."

With that, Mark left the room leaving Bert to ponder some more at his stunning realization. What could this really mean in the long run?

~~~~~0~~~~~

"Pokéxtinctionists?" Donovan questioned the Salamance. A familiar sensation hit him suddenly, he felt fear as he heard this. Why did he also fear this name?

"They want us contained, liberate the world from our existence in any way possible." He continued, not confirming Donovan's suspicions. "If we didn't come to get you from that crash, you would've been killed or worse, be used in horrible experiments."

Amy looked at the two with that same passive expression from the dragon's desk. She wanted to tell Donovan a piece of her mind still, but she held her words knowing this was not the place. She went back to typing and writing.

"Hence the reason for these underground bases. We do have some bases on the surface, but they're mostly independent from others and essentially on their own. The golden rule however is not to show humans we are here."

He walked in place, gazing out the window to the mechanical city as he continued. Donovan could only listen to this bizarre story.

"I pray you must understand why we can't show ourselves to the humans, for they are what make up their organization. Hundreds of thousands of agents are working for the Pokéxtinctionists. Majority of humans don't know they're even part of it."

He looked back towards Donovan.

"All because of one man with a grudge."

Amy cleared her throat to get the attention of the Salamence. "Pardon, but room space has been prepared for our guest. Donovan is officially a civilian in Espérer as of thirty seconds ago."

Ethan nodded at the Froslass. "Excellent! Thank you, Amy."

Amy didn't respond, she only huffed and continued to write more things down. Donovan still didn't know why she suddenly had a change of personality or her hateful tone.

"Now, I'm going to give you a choice, Donovan. What I've told you and even withheld from telling should be a guidance of what path you want to take."

Donovan nodded, he still felt whatever choices Ethan was going to suggest were probably going to translate to something that's either 'life or dead'.

"One choice you can make is to believe me in saying you will understand everything in the coming weeks, or perhaps even months. Your memory will come back, but it may be a very slow process before you truly remember everything. Which is why another choice may be to ignore why you're even here if you don't regain your memory and go about your new life as is in this base. I will not burden you any longer if you choose this route. Then there's the choice to outright refuse everything and I can send you back to the surface."

Three choices, Donovan was actually surprised it wasn't just life or death, but it still sounds like it from the tone he gave with the last choice. He braced himself to bring up the last option.

"From what you told me, the third one seems like a certain death sentence."

Ethan nodded. "Indeed, that is if you can live alone up there away from humans."

Donovan looked back at the leaf he had been holding this entire time. Obviously he doesn't want to pick the suicidal path. He rather take his chances and accept the offer of living in this base, for what good that will do. Hoping to himself that it's not some fancy prison.

"Some choice," he huffed, being very apparent of his annoyance. "Either I live here or I die, and then it's either I remember or forget everything."

Ethan nodded once more to Donovan's simplified version.

"I choose to live, so I guess I'm staying."

Ethan looked to Amy who was done writing and was staring off at nothing in particular. Ethan knew she really didn't want to be in any part of this meeting. He cleared his throat to her, more so in a mocking fashion, but still to get her attention.

"Amy, he's ready to settle down, please escort our guest to his quarters."

Amy grabbed several documents she had been writing out and floated towards them. She looked at Ethan still with that passive expression.

"By the Meis, Ethan, I do hope you know what you're doing."

He looked unimpressed at the remark and motioned her exit. She bowed to him and did the same motions that grasshopper creature was doing before he left. She then looked at Donovan and then towards the door before floating towards them. He didn't have anything else to lose, so he began to follow her trail.

"Oh, before you go." Ethan interjected making Donovan stop in his tracks. "It was nice seeing you again, Donovan." He smiled slightly as if knowing it was a friendly jab. Donovan didn't find it as funny however and clenched his fists. He continued following the Froslass, leaving the dragon to his thoughts.

~~~~~0~~~~~

Amy and Donovan reached the room with the giant hole in the middle again. Donovan was more confident this time around to walk on nothing, but he was still skeptical and hesitant with his steps. Looking down, he had the familiar feeling of butterflies in his stomach. It didn't help that he now had more company walking with him. The guards from before were following again, this time they were with the pair instead of at a distance.

"And you're the guy the higher ups were so afraid about?" chuckled the grasshopper creature as he watched the cautious Snivy make his way on the invisible platform. "You look like you couldn't even hurt a fly even if you tried, little man."

Donovan didn't turn around to face the guy, he didn't want to show them all that he was nervous and afraid. They already probably can see he was afraid anyway without looking at his worried expression. Amy huffed at the both of them when she reached the center of the hole.

"Colt, can you try to act more like your rank?"

Colt put his blade arms behind his back as he made his way toward the pair. "Relax m'am, only having a little fun with the guy." He motioned his guards to follow onto the invisible platform. They all did quick and quietly.

They all then started to descend, which made Donovan feel a little light headed as he felt a force pushing him down. The sensation was sort of similar when him and Amy were going up, except now he felt his blood rushing upwards. It was a slow start again as well, but that quickly changed when they gained momentum as floors wizzed by the group. Donovan couldn't help but panic as he looked at the bottomless pit. His mind and instincts were screaming to grab on to something. If this was a common occurrence in this city, it's going to take a long time before the poor Snivy can get use to it.

Eventually they started to slow down as Donovan saw what he presumed was the bottom floor since there were no more holes to go down. Still shivering from the brief trip downwards, he made quick glances to the group he was with and to what he saw on that floor. There appeared to be what looked like giant generators positioned around the room. All of them were humming quietly as blue lights shone brightly as the group made the landing. As soon as they touched the ground, some of the generators dimmed, but the humming continued.

Amy did a quick take on Donovan before motioning the Snivy to continue following. Complying as usual, he followed Amy's lead with the rest following suit. Donovan thought this was a good time to ask what was with the guards, but he was still far too nervous to even open his mouth. He supposed they're following because he was someone important and they don't want him getting hurt. The remark Colt made about 'higher ups being afraid of him' made him sure this was the case.

Then there's what seems to be a connection between Colt and Amy. Donovan gets the feeling they know each other, only because of the banter they exchanged very briefly. He still can't figure out Amy for the life of him. The sudden change in her tone still bothered him since it was such a polarizing difference.

Minutes seemed to past as the group kept forward into a large lobby and to what was unmistakingly the entrance. Donovan finally caught sight of several Pokéumans walking along and going about their business. Some of them stopped briefly to see him and the group, one in particular seemed to scowl at him randomly as they passed.

Donovan expected for a place this grand that the lobby would've been even more spacious than the headmaster's room. Instead, the lobby seemed to just be the same hallway they were traveling but now with some doors, smaller passages, and a reception desk. The door back outside was the only piece that stood out as it didn't much look like a door but a thin layer of floating water that shimmered from the high ceiling lights and the outside. He couldn't help but feel a bit of disappointment that his eyes were not going to be dazzled.

"I can take it from here, Colt," Amy started as they approached watery substance. "Your men are dismissed."

Colt grunted, looking as if he was just told something offensive as his face contorted slightly. "As you wish, m'am." He looked to his group and motioned them several signs. Some of them looked displeased at what Colt was saying while others looked suddenly relieved.

Amy stared at Donovan while motioning him to go through the liquid substance. "After you," she simply said with still that emotionless expressed she has worn through this entire fiasco.

He didn't know what to do, he looked from the slowly moving water-like surface to her with a confounded look. Amy didn't answer his obvious signs of confusion but merely continued that expressionless stare of hers. Knowing he wasn't going to get an answer, he edged closer to the entrance and put out his hand while pointing. Closer his green finger got, giving Amy one more fleeting look before touching his mark.

Instantly, he felt a very cold sensation. Then, as if he was suddenly pulled by his hand, he was hurled through the watery substance. After a few confused moments as the entirety of him flew through the water, he landed on his side rolling a bit.

With startled pain, he quickly got back up and looked around. He definitely was back outside into the city, but he instantly noticed he was nowhere near the center where he thought he was. A pop was sounded behind and he turned instantly, almost tripping over himself at his own quick reflex.

Amy had appeared, but no sign of the watery substance seemed to be present. Indeed, he seemed to be in some type of back alley. A few light sources shone where he stood with a clear view of the center. He wanted to know how he got here, but before he could question, she answered.

"What you experienced was teleportation," she simply stated as if this was something completely normal. "I won't bore you with the mechanics as I'm sure you're eager to get comfy in the base."

On the contrary, Donovan's bewildered face definitely wanted to know how something like teleportation exists. Oddly enough, he seemed to recall teleportation was something impossible to achieve. He held his tongue though, he didn't much want to talk to Amy.

Amy huffed and motioned him to follow once more.

~~~~~0~~~~~

After several stares as the two passed seemingly busy streets, an area that looked like a giant food market with all sorts of fruits that Donovan has never seen before, and then a random incident with a random Pokéuman that accused Donovan of stealing something before Amy quickly hushed him with her personality magically back to her happy self, they reached a series of buildings with a street that stretched with no ends in sight. Donovan was highly suspecting that this street might actually go around the entire city.

"Right, so your new home is right in front of us!" she stated as she danced in place. Donovan was unsure if she was sincere about her go-lucky personality. That, and he was still seemingly deathly afraid of her and he didn't understand why.

She motioned him to follow with enthusiasm, the other Pokéumans watched with curious looks as she lured him to a building that simply had the characters "A-2-2". The metallic doors slid open upon approach and the pair entered what looked like an apartment complex, except there was no reception desk here or anything of the sort. As soon as they walked in, they stared into one long hallway with doors on both sides. Amy hummed to herself as she briskly floated down the hallway, Donovan following in her wake.

There were signs above each door he noticed, possibly just room numbers, but it made him curious as he passed a door with the engraved character "C-11-4".

"Lucky you, you're on this floor, so no need to use that elevator down the hall," she said as she pointed to the pair of metallic doors at the end. "Your new home is right here." She motioned to the door with a sign above it "C-11-7". "You're rooming with another fella, but don't worry, he's very friendly!" she chirped with glee, dancing once again in place.

Donovan's stomach felt full suddenly, he didn't think he would be getting accustomed to this new life with someone. "Err… are you sure?" he asked nervously, not wanting Amy to go back to her expressionless demeanor.

She chuckled and nodded as she also pushed several buttons on the keypad by the door. The doors parted instantly upon a satisfied beep. Donovan was just about to enter until a very sharp shriek was heard.

"HEY-HEY-HEY, WHO'S BARGING IN HERE?"

Startled, Donovan stepped back, but Amy merely chuckled. Heavy flaps were sounded before a bemused looking bird ran toward them and perched right at the entrance. The first thing Donovan thought of upon seeing this bird was a big yellow lemon.

Staring at the two intruders with its milky white eyes, the pupils shifting from one to the other as it clicked its elongated orange beak, it paced in place as its orange tail slashed threateningly as if ready to pounce. The blue pointed end tapping at the hard floor to intimidate them even further as its orange neck fluff puffed. Its blue head rising slightly along with its feathers making it look slightly like a cocktail.

All these features aside, Donovan felt more intimidated by the very sharp looking claws on either ends of the bird's blue tipped wings.

"I'm sorry to intrude, but I-" but Amy was interupted before she could finish. The cocktail looking bird squawked with excitement as its defensive stance changed instantly to a friendly gesture.

"Oh, it's you Amy, how're you doin'?"

"I'm fine, thank you," she chimed cheerfully. "You were notified of your new roommate, correct?" She gestured to Donovan who was still startled.

The bird looked at him with interest as he cocked his head curiously. He clacked out of the room, giving Donovan a quick jolt as he audibly sniffed at him. Raising one of his wings, he placed one of its claws on Donovan's side so suddenly that he jumped with a gasp and stumbled back. Whatever the bird was doing, he seemed to be satisfied as a smile formed on his beak and squawked happily.

"I like this guy already!" He looked back to Amy who looked as if she wanted to burst out laughing as she was hiding her mouth with her kimono arm. "Yeah, I got word of a new guy. Is he a fresh one or just moving?"

"Oh, he's a fresh one alright."

For a split second, Donovan thought he saw Amy clench her fist suddenly, but she instantly went back to dancing in place.

"Fresh one, 'aite, I suppose you're confused out of your mind, huh?" he asked looking at Donovan with sudden pity. "Don't worry, I know those feels."

Moments seem to pass as an awkward silence fell over the three as Amy continued dancing in place. Noticing the sudden silence, she stopped and clasped her hands together.

"Alright, I think it's time for introductions!"

The bird gasped and then began scratching the back of his head with a chuckle. "Oh how rude of me, sorry buddy. The name's Berry, I'm an Archen if you've been wondering 'what's with the talking bird'."

Donovan fidgeted in place, a nervous grin escaping as he chuckled in distress. "I'm Donovan, and err, I'm a Snivy," he responded, but emphasizing the the Snivy part as if he was unsure of his own answer. This prompted Amy to finally burst in a series of giggles.

"Yeah, I know what you are, don't worry about it."

"I'll leave you two to it then, I must be off!" Amy somewhat sanged as she began to float away from the two toward the exit.

"What, already? But you just got here! Why not come on in and I'll make some tea for the three of us, eh?"

"Oh no, I really must be off. Urgent things to attend to!"

A sudden gleam in her eye appeared, Donovan once again thought he noticed her suddenly clutching her fists. Berry on the other hand squawked sadly at her.

"If you really say so, I don't really see you that often though. But I guess for a head guide, you must have a lot on your plate, huh?"

Donovan gulped, it seems like everyone in this city knows who Amy was. How many know that she's involved with the headmaster here though? He wondered if Berry knew and if he was allowed to discuss this with his forced newfound roommate. He liked him enough, at least Berry didn't give him a feeling of utmost fear without any reason like Amy did.

She nodded towards Berry in response, "Yeah, I'm hard pressed today, but maybe some other time."

"Alright, have a good one then, y'here?"

She gave a thumbs up and a wink before floating toward the exit, more quickly Donovan noticed than when they entered, and parted the pair of metallic doors showing the outside briefly before shutting again to leave the two in the hallway.

"Come in, come in, Don-Don, I don't bite!"

The word 'Don-Don' didn't bring him much joy.

He entered the Berry's and now his apartment and took this moment to scan his supposed new living space. Sofa's were lined in the corner facing a monitor of sorts. The other corner looked to be a makeshift open kitchen with all sorts of utensils. A hallway on the right led to a series of doors which Donovan assumed might be where the beds and a bathroom were at.

Then as suddenly as a tidal wave, he felt extremely exhausted from walking around with his short stubby feet. He recalled he was small in comparison to some other Pokéumans and walking around with short stubby feet and being small did not mix well for long ventures within the city. He walked towards the sofa, where Berry had already set himself down himself with a satisfied sigh, and try to hop on along beside.

He couldn't, he was simply too short to jump onto the sofa.

Frustrated at this newfound discovery, he huffed and tried with all his might to get on the soft cushion that could ease his weariness. All attempts seem to be futile as he kept sliding off the edge of the cushion again, and again, and again.

Berry was quite amused by Donovan's determination as he watched his attempts over and over. He then gave him a look of confusion as if asking him indirectly 'are you serious right now?'.

"'Ey, so how fresh are you?"

Panting slightly, Donovan stopped trying and gave a reproachful look to Berry. "I'm really new, like today even."

Berry gasped so suddenly with a look of horror that Donovan was equally as surprised at the sudden reaction.

"What?"

"Oh, she said you were fresh, but I didn't know you only just learned you were one of us today. I'm so sorry!"

Panic stricken, the Archen bowed towards him, jumped off the sofa, and attempted to give him a comforting pat on the back. Donovan however didn't take it as such and jumped while stumbling back from Berry.

"What's wrong? Why are you-"

Then it dawned on Donovan from what the doctor said when woke up in this new world. 'Pokéumans don't lose their memory from their past life'. He suddenly felt the urge to look intently on how polished the wooden floor of the apartment was. It was unlike the cold metallic surface in the hallway. Berry just stared concerningly at the Snivy.

"I actually don't remember anything, no memories," Donovan said feeling a tinge of guilt. He couldn't comprehend what it must be like to go from a life you knew well into a completely new life while knowing your past one had just suddenly came to a disgusting halt.

"No memories?" Berry repeated. Donovan looked up to be surprised that the Archen before him looked at him in awe. "Wow, you're the first Pokéuman I've ever met to say that."

Donovan was taken back by this, Berry made it seem like it was an impressive feat to behold. "Of course, not to say it's a good thing, no-no-no, but that it's mighty lucky you don't because I've heard so many horror stories from some of my friends and-"

"Wait," Donovan suddenly said, surprised that Berry wasn't telling him off and saying how it feels to lose family and being outcast by a society you thought you knew. "Er, were you ever-"

"A human?" he finished with a faint smile. "No, I never was, I was born and raised in this city."

An interesting tidbit of information, Donovan thought. Then again, he should've expected that not every Pokéuman started off as human. He scratched the back of his head giving a nervous smile back.

"Yeah, and my family lives in this city too. Of course once I became of age, they thought it be best I just go to training."

"Err, training?"

This question surprised Berry as he gave another gasp.

"Don't tell me you don't know what this place is!"

He shook his head, but this did concern him. Did the headmaster just sign him up for schooling without telling him? He imagined the dragon right now grinning and chuckling at that very moment. He clutched his hands to a fist. Some choice he had.

"Oh blime', wow, I did'n'... Well alright, I suppose I should've realized because yer' a day old fresh, but still!" Berry looked bewildered at this new discovery. "I'm surprised Amy didn't tell you or whoev' sent you here."

Donovan had half the heart to tell him that he went to the center, but for some reason, he thought that it might be a good idea to never talk about that in front of anyone. He already a foreboding feeling that no normal person would go there. Instead he merely shrugged at Berry's inquiry.

"Where to begin, where to begin?" He paced left and right in front of Donovan. "Well put it this way, this building and the other buildings you saw outside are all part of this giant academy. Basically, it's like a school system by human standards."

Donovan scratched his head. "So what am I going to learn, my ABC's? I think I already know that."

Berry laughed, "no, no, of course not. You'll be tested before they tell you what to do, I promise you. At least that's what my friends tell me that come from the human world. 'Cause, yer'know, I grew up here and wouldn't know."

This didn't cheer Donovan at all. "But I don't know anything, I only know the basic things."

"Well good, it be kind of hard for a full grown Snivy, like you, if he had to go back and actually re-learn their ABC's."

Again, this didn't cheer him up.

"Look, don't sweat it. You'll probably just take some lessons in what we are and learn how to use and harness your powers and all that good stuff."

Donovan instantly remembered Amy's explanation about how she was floating and showing off her energy in physical form. Then he remembered that he somehow produced leaves when he was in the headmaster's office.

"I heard that all Pokéumans have some type of power in them, so I guess that's true then?" he asked trying to continue on this current line of discussion, eager to know more about it.

"Oh yeah, some have different varieties. I have some power, but it's not at all powerful like-"

"Amy?"

Berry grinned. "Yeah, like Amy, though I would imagine her powers would be stronger. She has to use it to get around places, or else she would be crawling everywhere."

Donovan wanted to ask if he knew anything more about Amy, but he really wanted to see if Berry could use his powers, whatever they may be, at will. "So, you can control your power?"

Berry nodded with glee. "Yeah, and don't worry, once you learn all about what you are and how to tap in that power of yours, it'll be a piece o' cake."

"Can you show me what yours looks like?"

"'Fraid not, all my powers involve destructive energy since I'm considered 'ground-type' and all."

"Ground-type?" Donovan repeated confused.

"Oh hell, you don't know the types are either?"

Donovan grunted, he felt if he were to take that test now he would for sure be the laughing stock.

"Well, erm, see it's like this. Pokéumans, as you probably seen yourself, are quite the diverse group, righ'?"

Donovan nodded, faintly remembering the purple centipede looking Pokéuman as the first thought.

"We all have the same energy, but the type is what really defines the energy. I can already tell you right now by your plant-like features your energy type is definitely grass."

Donovan frowned, grass? He hoped that the name didn't mean that he didn't have any exciting power except if he counted making leaves randomly appear one.

"I see that look, probably think that sounds lame, right?"

Donovan nodded slowly.

"I can tell you right now grass is a pretty dangerous type. Can leave lots of nasty cuts. Why just last month someone upped and razer-leafed me accidentally during a practice session. Left a huge cut on this cheek." He pointed to a tuft of blue feathers that indeed look as if they were bit shorter than the rest.

He pondered a bit on what a 'razer-leaf' was until the monitor on the wall suddenly beeped. The two looked at the blinking light on the side of the monitor, Donovan looked confused as usual while Berry had the face like this wasn't weird at all. The screen came to life displaying a message on a blue background that stated "Message for Donovan".

Just as sudden the message popped did a slot beneath the monitor open and shot out an envelope to the confused Snivy. He tried to make a catch for it after realizing that the letter was going directly to him, but he was too late as it hit his stomach and then fell on the wooden floor.

"What was that all about?" Donovan asked as he picked up the envelope. The monitor's screen shut back off and the slot closed.

"Ah, that was just the mail, you'll get use to it," he said happily. "Probably just a welcome message here."

As he gazed at the letter heading, it read, "To Donovan, A-2-2-C-11-7, Outer". He turned it over and he saw a symbol that he thought he saw on those guards. That same double circle with a link going across the diameter of the bigger of the two. He ripped open the seal, pulled, and unfolded.

_Welcome to Espérer Academies, we hope you find your quarters to be of accommodation and your partner cooperative. Please take this time to familiarize yourself within the campus and observe your fellow Pokéumans. Also please take note that as a first time student, and you're over the required age, you MUST take the Standardized All General Education Test (SAGET). After which then you will be assigned to lessons based on the results of (SAGET)._

_Given the circumstances placed on your profile, you are given a two week leave before the appointed test can be scheduled for you._

_Please check back at your Personal PC (PPC) for instructions for your next steps._

_Have a wonderful day!_

_-Espérer Administrator Phillips_

"Oh don't worry about that test," started Berry who was no behind Donovan looking over his shoulder at the letter.

Donovan turned around unnerved. "Do you know what's on it?"

He shrugged. "Haven't gotta clue, I never did take the test, but I know some friends who have. It's really easy, trust me, it has nothing to do with energy types or how many of us are there and whatever else you may not know."

He looked back at his letter and then with a big long yawn, he felt extremely exhausted again. He wish he could lay down somewhere, like on the couch cushion.

Berry curiously cocked his head at him. "You probably haven't slept one wink of an eye, have ya?" He walked over to to the hallway. "Come on, I'll show 'yer room."

He hurried along with Berry walking to the hallway until they reached the end with three doors. On on either side and one directly in front. Berry pointed with his wing the door on the right.

"This is to 'yer room, simply press the button right there on the right to open. It'll close automatically once 'yer in."

Donovan approached the door and, thankfully, the button Berry mentioned was at his height. With a successful click, the door parted open and revealed a fairly grande room, or that's what the effect Donovan got. Everything in the room was down to his height which made the ceiling look spacious than it probably should. A desk was station by the door and a bed in a far corner. A similar looking monitor like the one he just saw and got mail from was in this room as well accompanied by another desk and other peripherals and gadgets.

Apart from those, the room was quite bare in appearance, despite the grande-like illusion it brought.

"Is your room like this too?"

"Yeah, we're both a bit on the small side so everything's been sort of sized down as you can tell."

Berry patted Donovan on the back once more, directing his stare to the Snivy's eyes.

"Listen, if you need to know or want something, just let me know, I'll definitely help out a buddy."

Donovan smiled, for the first time since he's been in this crazy new world with no signs of his past, he believes he had just made a really good start of a friendship with the curious Archen.


End file.
